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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · safe · ground · game · ball · bear · field · roll

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — for sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com